Welt-sewing machine



March 20, 1934. .1. R, OLIVER WELT SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

March 20, 1934. J. R, QUVER 1,951,369

WELT SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg, 2

INVENTOR.

10:24AM, 14M *Mk ATTORNEYS.

March 20, 1934.

J. R. OLIVER' 1,951,369

WELT SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 30 [N VENTOR:

KM K km u A TTORNE Y'S,

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 1,951,369 WELT-SEWING MACHINE John Roger Oliver, Medfield, Mass, assignor to Reece Shoe Machinery Company, Boston, Mass,

a corporation of Maine Application October 29, 1931, Serial No. 571,784

7 Claims.

This invention relates to welt sewing machines, for example to the Reece type of welt-and-turn machine as illustrated in the prior patent of Oliver No. 1,770,992 granted July 22, 1930, and in the earlier patents and applications therein referred to. The invention however is applicable to welt sewing machines of other types.

The invention pertains more particularly to theoperation of severing, or of severing and hold- .ing, the welt after the completion of a given seam, such for example as the stitching of the welt to a shoe. After the machine is stopped, preferably by an automatic stop mechanism, it is necessary, in order to release the shoe or work, to sever the welt strip between the last point of attachment to the shoe and the sewing point, at which point the welt is fed to the work through a Welt guide which receives the welt from a relatively remote supply point.

Welt severing devices of several distinctive types are known, the usual operation of all of them being that, following the completion of the stitching, the work and the welt are advanced in the direction of feed, leftward in the standard .machines, and the welt thereupon severed at a point about midway between the last point of at tachment of the welt to the work and the stitching point or plane, the severing device being normally retracted to a rearward position, but at the time of severingmoving frontwardly to sever the welt at the designated point, leaving a short free end of welt both at the shoe and at the stitching point.

'The actuation of a welt severing device after the pulling through of the welt as described, may be brought about in different ways, but in said prior Patent 1,770,992 it is brought about by the manual movement of a trip or release means or lever, which releases actuating devices that operate to move frontwardly the severing instrument and cause it to sever the welt at the designated place. A drawback, with any sort of severing action, is the possibility of the action occurring before the work and welt have been advanced through a minimum distance, for example one inch, such as to insure that the severing instrument will not contact or injure the shoe or operate on the welt too near the shoe.

The general object of the present invention is to afford a simple, convenient and effective means for severing the welt at a designated point after the completion of the stitching. A particular object is to obviate the drawback before mentioned by preventing the tripping o-r actuation of the welt severing mechanism prematurely or before the shoe and welt have been advanced, after the completion of stitching, by a certain minimum distance sufficient to insure that the severing will occur at a point suitably removed both from the work and from the stitching point. Other and further objects and advantages will be pointed out in the hereinafter following descriptlon of an illustrative embodiment of the invention or will be understood to those conversant with the subject.

To the attainment of the above recited objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel welt sewing machine, the novel welt handling mechanism, and the novel features of combination, arrangement, operation, structure and detail herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a right elevation of the head of a welt sewing machine of the type referred to, corresponding in part with Fig. 1 of said prior patent, showing the present improvement embodied thereon.

Fig. 2 is a left elevation corresponding in part with Fig. 2 of said patent.

Fig. 3, in perspective, shows the detail construction of certain parts appearing in Figs. 1 and 5.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view looking along the slanting direction of the arrow 4 of Fig. 2 and corresponding in part with Fig. .4 of said patent.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view partly in section showing in skeleton certain of the parts at the extreme left and right, and the interconnection between them.

Fig. 6 is apartial front view looking along the inclined arrow 6 of Fig. 2 corresponding in part with Fig. 6 of saidpatent.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation corresponding in part with Fig. 7 of said patent.

Corresponding reference letters and numbers refer-to corresponding parts in .the several figures.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the inverted shoe, which is not shown, will be understood as being held in place to the front of and below the welt guide, and with the welt strip W, the shoe upper, and the sole lip advancing leftward in the path of the curved barbed needleC. The

welt strip, before meeting the shoe, is guided by the welt guide 20 to be described along a path extending from the welt supply through the welt guide to the stitching point or plane, whereat the needle looper and other cooperating stitching instruments form the thread into successive stitches connecting the shoe'upper, sole lip and wall of the head of the machine, and spaced to the right of this is a second fore-and-aft frame wall or bracket 12. The stitching instruments are accommodated principally between the two frame walls, while the control mechanism thereof is mounted partly on each wall, with a connection or link from one side to the other. The main or operating shaft 13 may have its bearings in the two frame walls and this may have crank or other connections to the stitching instruments for operating them in coordination on the principles of said patent and the prior patents therein mentioned, such connections being omitted herefrom as unnecessary to the disclosure of the present invention.

For the purposev of mounting certain parts at the inner side of the left frame wall there is shown a fixed irregular bracket or casting 17. The needle C may oscillate about an axle 18 in the usual manner. The work may be held against the usual type of welt guide and work rest and may be advanced between stitches by the usual feed mechanism as the welt W is laid against the shoe and stitched thereto.

As in said prior patent the specific method of severing the welt, illustratively shown herein, involves the quick throwing frontward and retraction of a severing instrument or blade, preferablyv comprising a shearing blade cooperating with a part or member through which the welt advances. These parts are manipulated to sever the welt, not close tothe stitching point or needle plane, but at a point substantially advanced therebeyond, or well to the left of the stitching plane, leaving a'projecting welt endfacilitating the starting of a new seam. While the invention is not so limited, the severing knife is shown as swinging frontwardly to the welt and at the same time shifting leftward, thus taking a diagonal motion bringing it to the desired advanced severing position, the cooperating welt guiding and shearing member preferably partaking of the leftward component of movement; in other words the blade and the guide member move leftward in unison while the blade moves rela-- tively-frontward to effect the severing. This system permits the operator, after the completion of a seam and the stoppage of the shaft, to pull the shoe and welt bodily leftward to the extent of an inch, or two inches or more, according to the length of the loose welt to be left at the end of the seam,'then bringing about the severing action, and so leaving a projecting welt end both on the work and'in the machine. The severing movement may be effected by the machine, as by a spring and may be initiated by a tripping or releasing action after the work and -Welt have been pulled through to the desired ."minimum extent. With the present improvement the devicefor tripping or bringing about the action of the cutting mechanism is placed under the control of a latch or locking means, -which prevents the manual or other operation 'of the severing mechanism unless and until the work and welt have been pulled through to the .required minimum extent, whereupon this in" vention effects the releasing of the latching or locking means so that the severing mechanismv may then be tripped and actuated.

The welt guide '20 is of irregular shape and supported on swingable arms 22 mounted on an axle 23 so that the guide may swing frontward and rearward to and from the workas is usual in machines of this type. The welt guide is shown as having in addition to its main portion a a separate guiding part or loop 24 located normally directly to the left of the welt guide but capable of a leftward shifting movement at the time of severing to take part therein as already the two being normally held in proper alinement for example by a longitudinal pin 29 forming a rightward extension of the guide section 24 and passing through an aperture in the guide 20.

'The severing knife 30 consists of a flat blade movable in the groove between guide part 24 and extension 25. The knife is attached to a curved shank 31 formed with rack teeth 32 engaged by a pinion 33 elongated to permit right and left shifting movements of the blade, the rotation of the pinion causing the blade to shift frontward, cut the welt, and retract to normal position.

The curved shank 31 of the cutter and the similar shank 27 of the guide section 24 are accommodated in the are shaped recess of a guide member or block 35, which not only guides the two shanks and keeps them in proper registered position, but operates to give the bodily leftward and return shifting movements of the cutter and guide section. The shifting guide 35 is mounted on a guiding bar 36 extending to the right and a similar bar 37 extending to the left and passing through the frame wall 11;, the two bars being guided by the frame wall and a portion of the oastingll. The left and right movements of the guide block may be effected through the bar 37 which has lateral pins 38 engaging in the lower slotted end of a lever 39 at the outer or left side of the wall 11, the lever being fulcrumed on an upper pivot 40 and being swung'right and left by a link 41 extending between the lever and an upwardly and downwardly sliding bar to be further described. When the bar 45' descends and rises this throws the guide block 35 to the left for the cuttingmovement turns it rightward to the normal position.

For operating the cutter'Sil the pinion 33 is mounted on a shaft 42 which extends leftward through the frame wall 11 and carries an exterior pinion 43 engaged by the teeth 44 of a rackbar 45 arranged to slide downwardly and upwardly, guided'by a lower guide 46 and upper guide roll 47. The link 4 1 alreadyreferred to are pivoted to the bar 45 for throwing the lever 39 and connected bar 37. At its upper end the rack 45 has an extension {18 through which its move ments are effected by a toggle comprising a lower link 50 pivoted to the extension 48 and an upper link 51, the two links being pivoted together at.

52 The upper link has an upper pin 53 engaging ina slot 54 formed in a part .rigid with the wall 11, the slot having a notch 55 at its lower end in which the pivot rests during the rearward operative movementof the toggle. A

spring 56 holds the pin 53 in its lowered position as shown, engaging the notch 55.

and re The toggle is operated by rod 58 extending forwardly from the pin 52, the rod having a rear head 59 by which the parts can be reset by an oscillating lever 67 as described in said patent. In front of the toggles the rod carries a flange 60 and at the extreme front the rod is tapered at 61 with a notch 62 to the rear of the taper to receive the latch '70 to be described. The toggle may be operated by the stored tension of a spring 63 surrounding the rod 58, and pressing rearwardly on the flange 60. The front end of the rod is guided in a fixed bearing 65 confining the spring 63, the operation of which, when re leased, is to throw the toggles from their normal position shown, through their straightened position and beyond to a rearward position, which throws the bar 45 downwardly and restores it upwardly, and the subsequent resetting by the lever 67 not operating the bar 45 but causing the upper link pin 53 to ride up and down in the slot 54.

A latch or finger '70 normally engages the notch 62 thus holding frontward the rod 68. The latch is in the form of a swinging finger mounted on a rock shaft '71. This shaft is mounted in front and rear bearings '72 and '73. Between these bearings the shaft or shank '71 has a collar '74 clamped upon it. A spring is connected to the front bearing and the collar so as to rotate the shaft and swing up the latch into latching position, the spring also being under compression to hold the parts in proper endwise relation. The details of this construction are further explained in said patent. The sleeve '78 has an extension or arm '79 which constitutes a tripping lever for the latch, extending leftward and downwardly in a convenient position to be contacted or knocked upwardly by a part of the work or shoe, so as to throw down the latch and bring about the severing operation. A spring surrounding the rear part of shaft 71 is connected to throw down the severing control latch lever '19. The sleeve '78 is formed into a rearwardly extending shank 81 carrying a collar 82 from which extends upwardly a finger 83 serving a purpose later to be referred to.

The parts thus far described are substantially the same as in said patent as also is a vertically slidable rod 9'7 as seen in Figs. 1 and 5 which rod is connected and operated to lift whenever the machine is brought to rest, for example through being connected with the controlling pedal of the machine, the letting up of the pedal to disconnect power and apply the stop motion operating through the rod 9'? for the control purposes to be described.

Referring next to the parts which characterize this improvement, and their combination and cooperation with the parts already described, the finger 83 upstanding from a collar connected with the trip lever 79 is employed for the purpose of locking or latching the trip lever against being thrown unless and until the shoe and Welt have been pulled leftward through the distance required, thereby preventing premature throwing of the latch lever 79 and tripping of the severing mechanism. The latch 70 controlled by the lever '79 may be considered a primary latch for causing the operation of the severing devices, while the latch, trigger or look arm 115 may be considered as a secondary latch or look for preventing the throwing of the primary latch or otherwise normally preventing the actuation of the severing mechanism.

The secondary latch, lock means or trigger 115 is shown as pivoted on a small bracket 116 outstanding at the left side of the frame wall 11. Figs. 2, l and 6 show the latch 115 in its normal or latching position, holding the main latch '79 and the cutting mechanism inoperative. The latch 115 is formed with a notch or shoulder resting on top of and to the right of the top end of the finger 83. When swung upwardly the latch 115 releases the finger 83 so that thereafter, by other means, for example manually, the main latch lever '79 can be thrown and the main latch '70 depressed to release the rod 61 for spring actuation of the cutting mechanism. For the purpose of lifting the secondary latch it is shown as connected by a long downwardly extending link 11'! with the horizontal or rightward extending arm 118 of a bell crank lever, the other arm 119 of which extends upwardly, so that when the vertical arm 119 is moved to the left the horizontal arm will lift the latch. The bell crank 118, 119 is shown mounted at the lower front end of an inclined fulcrum bracket 120 attached to a frame part of the machine below and to the left of the frame wall 11.

The described connections for the secondary latch 115 may be actuated through a long horizontal link or connecting rod 121 shown in Fig. 6, and in the top View Fig. 5, where the rod is broken away to indicate the full extended length bea tween the two frame walls 11 and 12. At its right end the link 121 is connected to the lower end of a swinging lever 122 which is centrally fulcmrned at 123 as seen in Fig. 1 and has a ball 124 formed at its top end for universal engagement with a lever 125 to be more particularly described. When the lever 125 is swung so as to thrust the ball 124 to the right this throws the lower end of the lever 122 to the left and causes the opening of the secondary latch.

The operating member or lever 125 which thus may effect the opening of the secondary latch is arranged to be actuated by the leftward pulling of the work and welt, for which purpose one part of the member 125 comprises a gripper, normally open, but adapted to close upon and grip a part of the welt between the stitching point and the welt supply, upon the stoppage of the machine. By this arrangement the leftward advancing of the work and welt causes the swinging of the lever and thereby the release of the secondary latch.

This shiftable gripper lever or device is shown in right elevation in Fig. 1 in disassembled perspective in Fig. 3 and in top view in Fig. 5. In its entirety it is mounted upon a fixed fulcrum stud 126 depending from the right frame wall 12, the stud having a lower head 127 confining the lever above it. The lever comprises an under lever portion 128 from which extends forwardly an arm 129 constituting a lower jaw. The under portion 128 also comprises a squared extension 130 surrounding the pivot stud and having pivot holes 131 for the mounting of the upper lever portion 132. This upper lever portion has a trunnion mounting through its separated cheeks 133 enclosing the squared top 130 of the lower member, with a pivot 131 pivoting it to the squared part. The upper lever member has a forwardly extending arm or jaw 134, the free end of which is formed into a downwardly extending fork or lugs 135, the sides of which embrace the lower jaw 129 and maintain the jaws in alinement. Also depending from the upper jaw 134 are a pair of lugs 136, one at each side of the under jaw 129. A small compression spring 137 is inserted between the front ends of the respective jaws, holding them normally open.

Zhe described arrangement of gripper jaws lugs presents a passage for the free advance of the welt, namely between the under and upper jaws 129 and 134' between the depending for is or lugs 135 and 136. When the jaws are brought together-as will be described they grip the welt sufficiently firmly so that the advancing of the welt effects the swinging of the gripper lever 125 and thereby, through the connections described, the release of the latch or look 115. Behind the pivotal mounting of the upper lever portion it is formed with an extension or tail 138 having a circular recess 139 receiving the ball 124 at the upper end of the lever 122, thus afiording operative connection between the gripper lever 125 and the vertical lever 122.

The described arrangement will be seen to provide a general pivot or fulcrum, namely the stud 126, about which the gripper device or lever 125 may swing leftward and rightward. To provide limits to the swinging movement there is shown a pair of stops 140, see Figs. 1' and 5, the lever normally contacting against the right hand stop or pin 140 as shown, but being adapted to be swung to a predetermined extent to the left stop 140, the "extent of movement corresponding for example with an advance movement of one inch of the w lt strip W, as will be clear from Fig. 5. A spring 141 is arranged to pull upon the lever 125 tending to restore it to its normal position in contact with the right hand stop pin 146. 7

Next will be described the means for effecting the closing of the jaws of the gripper lever upon the stoppage of the machine. Shown in Figs. 1 and 5 is a special fixed bracket 142 carrying a vertical slide bar 143, this bracket also having an extension for the mounting of the vertical lever 122 already referred to. The slide bar 143 is shown separately in Fig. 3. At its upper right corner it is formed with a notch or shoulder 144 which is adapied at certain times to rise into latching or holding engagement with the left side of the tail 138 of the gripper lever, thus holding the latter in its abnormal position following the severing of the welt and before the Starling of a new seam. The slide bar 143 is formed at its lower end with opposite shoulders 145 and below them outstanding pins 146. This arrangement is to accommodate the forward end of a bar lifting and lowering means preferably of a resilient character, and shown as comprising a U-shape spring 148, the two opposite legs of which are looped in parallel formation and clamped permanently to the forward end of a lever arm 149, so that the lifting and lowering of the lever arm tends to lift and lower the slide bar 143.

These parts normally rest in their lowered position as shown, with the lever arm resting upon a fixed step 150, a spring 151 preferably being employed tending to pull down the lever arm into contact with its stop, so as to lower the slide bar. The lever arm 149 swings about a rear axis, having a rear hub 152 turning upon a fixed stud 153 pro jecting leftward from the frame wall 12, said stud also having a shorter arm 154 projecting frontwardly, with its front end overlying the rod 97 which constitutes an extension of the pedal rod and rises upon the stoppage of the machine.

The operation of this arrangement is that when the rod 9'7 rises and swings upwardly the lever 154, 149, this lifting movement is transmitted to the slidebar 143 which, being directly beneath the tail 138 of the upper lever portion 132 causes the lifting thereof and thereby. the depression of the upper jaw 134, against the resistance of the jaw spring 137, the welt thus being gripped between the jaws, so that the advance pulling movement of the welt will swing the gripper lever and operate the described irain of mechanism to open the latch 115 and thus release the main latch 70, which may thereupon be thrown to effect the cutting if and. when desired.

At the end of the swinging movement of the gripper lever 125 its tail 138 drops into the shallow notch behind the shoulder 144 of the slide bar 143. swinging back to normal and retracting the welt after the latter has been severed. The welt is thus held advanced, the jaws preferably remaining engaged upon it, but preferably not so tight that the welt can not be pulled through further if desired. The welt thus is held with one half inch or other desired length outstanding beyond the stitching point, convenient for commencing a new stitching operation.

On restarting the machine the bar 143 is pulled down by the spring 151 of lever arm 149. This first causes the gripper 129, 134 to open, releasing the welt, as the tall 138 descends with the bar, and thereupon the release of the tail by the notch of the bar, permitting the spring 141 to restore the gripper device or lever to normal position. In the meanwhile the projecting welt end is under the control of the operator and applied to the shoe, and if desired a pawl, such as 100 in said patent may be supplementally used to prevent accidental backward movement of the welt. The return movement of the gripper lever causes the lock or latch 115 to return to operative position.

Having thus described a welt sewing machine of the class and type first referred to, which embodies the principles of the present invention, it is not intended to limit ihe invention to matters of combination, arrangement, operation, structure and detail except to the extent set forth in the respective claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a welt sewing machine, a welt guide adjacent the stitching point, a severing device normally retracted adapted to advance and sever the welt a predetermined distance from the stitching point and 10 retract to normal position, actuating means for the severing device, a controller or lever determining the time of operation of the actuating means, a lock means normally preventing the operation of the actuating means, a shif able welt gripper device between the welt supply and welt guide, means automatically closing the gripper device upon the welt on completion of the stitching, and connections from the gripper device to the lock means whereby a predetermined extent of shift of the gripper device due to a predetermined advance of the welt through the welt guide effects the release of the lock means thereby to permit the operation of the actuating means for causing severing of ihe welt at a predetermined point spaced between the work and stitching point.

2. In a welt sewing machine, a welt guide adjacent the stitching point, a severing device normally retracted adapted in each actuation to advance and sever the welt at a point a predetermined distance from the stitching point and to retract to normal position, actuating mechanism for the severing device, a latch means normally restraining such actuating mechanism, a controller for tripping the latch means to cause This latches and holds the lever against operation of the actuating means, a lock means normally preventing the tripping of the latch means, a shiftable welt gripper device between the welt supply and welt guide, means automatically closing the gripper device upon the welt on the stoppage of the machine, and connections from the gripper device to the lock means whereby a predetermined shift of the gripper device due to a predetermined advance of the welt through the welt guide greater than the distance between the stitching and severing points effects the release of the lock means.

3. In a welt sewing machine, a welt guide adjacent the stitching point, severing mechanism normally idle adapted in each actuation to sever the welt at a severing point a predetermined distance beyond the stitching point, means normally restraining the severing mechani u, a controller for releasing the restraining means to cause operation of the severing mechanism, a lock means normally preventing the releasing of the restraining means, or actuation of the severing mechanism, a shiftable welt engaging device between the welt supply and welt guide, means automatically engaging the engaging device with the welt upon the stoppage of the machine, and connections between the welt engaging device and the lock means whereby a predetermined advance of the welt through the welt guide greater than the distance between the stitching and severing points effects the release of the lccl; means.

4. A machine as in claim 2 and wherein the controller is a manually operable trip lever adapted to be thrown at will after suiiicient welt has been manually drawn through the machine to efiect the release of the lock means.

5. A machine as in claim 3 and wherein the severing mechanism comprises an actuating spring, there being power means for setting the spring, and the restraining means comprising a latch normally holding the spring set for actuation.

6. In a welt sewing machine, a welt guide adjacent the stitching point, severing mechanism normally idle adapted in each actuation to sever the welt at a severing point a predetermined distance beyond the stitching point, means normal- 1y restraining the severing mechanism, a controller for releasing the restraining means to cause operation or" the severing mechanism, a lock means normally preventing the actuation of the severing mechanism, a shiftable welt gripper between the welt supply and welt guide, means automatically engaging the gripper withthe welt upon the stoppage of the machine, and disengaging the same upon restarting the machine, connections between the gripper and the lock means whereby a predetermined advance of the welt through the welt guide greater than the distance between the stitching and severing points shifts the gripper andeffects the release of the lock means, and means for latching or holding the gripper in its shifted position after the machine stops and until it is restarted.

7. In a welt sewing machine, a welt guide adjacent the stitching point, severing mechanism normally idle adapted in each actuation to sever the welt at a severing point a predetermined distance beyond the stitching point, means normally restraining the severing mechanism, a controller for releasing the restraining means to cause operation of the severing mechanism, a lock means normally preventing the actuation of the severing mechanism, a shiftable welt gripper between the welt supply and welt guide, means automatically engaging the gripper with the welt upon the stoppage of the machine, and disengaging the same upon restarting the machine, and connections between the gripper and the lock means whereby a predetermined advance of the well; through the welt guide greater than the distance between the stitching and severing points shifts the gripper and efiects the release of the lock means, and means for latching or holding the gripper closed and in its shifted position after the machine stops and until it is restarted.

JOHN ROGER OLIVER. 

